There are a segment of movies described as “art house” movies.
That description usually describes a number of films but most often it means a movie that has subtitles because the actors are speaking in a different language. That was certainly true in the 70’s and 80’s and it was in my two art house theatres in Miami that I discovered directors like Francois Truffaut, Akira Kurosawa, and Federico Fellini. They were the Spielberg, Lucas, and Scorsese of the alternative movie world. As much as I enjoyed experiencing the unique world visions of these auteurs I always felt I was being exposed to something different and each visit to the dark room allowed for the world to grow a little bigger.
One of the movies which really struck me was Alain Resnais’ “Hiroshima mon Amour”. In this movie which is considered to be the beginning of the French New Wave of cinema; a French actress and a Japanese architect talk about relationships in the aftermath of the Hiroshima A-Bomb. The movie is really nothing more than a discussion between these two characters. I have also come to believe that perfume is often a discussion between the wearer and the perfumer and so when Stephane Humbert Lucas of Nez a Nez called his latest creation Hiroshima mon Amour I expected a fragrant conversation and I got that.
Hiroshima mon Amour the fragrance sort of re-creates the French and Japanese conversation of the movie in olfactive form. It has a contrasting kind of construction and feels like the give and take of a lively debate. This quickly moving style of fragrance can be sort of frustrating as you try to keep up with it. I found it to be really interesting due to the nature of this fragrant conversation taking place on my skin.
The opening gambit is a tussle between the citrus quality of yuzu and mandarin and a juicy tart plum. The plum is the dominant view point in the early going. The heart is a mixture of woody viewpoints as ambroxan, cherrywood, and birch combine. More quietly a sake’ accord along with juniper contrasts the strong woody statement. Finally a joint statement finds agreement between vanilla, amber, and musk allowing for a genial camaraderie to bring Hiroshima mon Amour to a close.
Hiroshima mon Amour has above average longevity and modest sillage.
Hiroshima mon Amour whether on celluloid or in a flacon is not for everyone. If you have the ability to appreciate an intellectually challenging experience in your art make sure to add Hiroshima mon Amour to you Netflix list and your perfume sampling list.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample from Intertrade Europe.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor
(Michelyn Camen, EIC and Art Direction)